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You are invited to participate in a study investigating anxiety in children with hearing loss. The purpose of this study is to examine anxiety levels in children with hearing loss (aged between 3 and 12 years old) and to determine whether the child’s age at detection and intervention of hearing loss, type of intervention, type of school attended, degree of peer problems and parental anxiety are predictive of child anxiety levels.

Who is conducting this research?

The study is being conducted by student Johanna Long from the Department of Psychology at Macquarie University (Phone: 0403785943, Email: johanna.long@students.mq.edu.au) to meet the requirements of Bachelor of Psychology with Honours under the supervision of Professor Jennifer Hudson (Phone: 98508668, Email: jennie.hudson@mq.edu.au), also of the Department of Psychology. Prof Hudson and Ms Long are conducting this study in collaboration with the Shepherd Centre including Dr Anne Fulcher, Renée Bennett and Tracy Hopkins.

What will I have to do?

If you decide to participate, you will be asked to complete an online questionnaire taking approximately 30 minutes. In this questionnaire, you will be asked to complete a survey measuring your own anxiety, sadness and stress. You will also have to answer questions designed to assess your child’s anxiety symptoms and emotional and behavioural difficulties. If your child is 7 years or older, we will also ask him/her to complete their own measures designed to assess anxiety and emotional/behavioural difficulties. These questions will be included in this Parent survey, so please make sure you complete the survey while your child is present. If this is not possible, you may close this survey at any time, and when your child is available to complete the questionnaire, simply return to the same link on the same computer/device and you can continue where you left off. If you choose to participate in this study, you may go into a draw to win an Ipad Mini (valued at approximately $369).

Who can I contact if I am concerned about my child's or my own mental health after completing the study?

Sometimes people find it difficult to answer questions about their fears and worries. If you feel distressed after completing the measures, please contact the investigator Prof Hudson (jennie.hudson@mq.edu.au). If you are concerned about you or your child’s anxiety (or other mental health issues) please contact the Centre for Emotional Health Clinic (98508711 or see mq.edu.au/ceh-clinc).

Who will have access to the information I provide?

Any information or personal details gathered in the course of the study are confidential, except as required by law. No individual will be identified in any publication of the results. Only the researchers identified on this consent form will have access to the data collected in this study. A summary of the results of the data can be made available to you on request (Please contact Prof Hudson jennie.hudson@mq.edu.au). If in the future, other researchers wish to gain access to the data collected during this project for future Human Research Ethics Committee-approved projects, only access to de-identifiable information will be provided.

What if I don't want to participate or feel too uncomfortable to continue during the study?

Participation in this study is entirely voluntary: you are not obliged to participate and if you decide to participate, you are free to withdraw at any time without having to give a reason and without consequence.

The ethical aspects of this study have been approved by the Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee. If you have any complaints or reservations about any ethical aspect of your participation in this research, you may contact the Committee through the Director, Research Ethics & Integrity (telephone (02) 9850 7854; email ethics@mq.edu.au). Any complaint you make will be treated in confidence and investigated, and you will be informed of the outcome.

Having read (or, where appropriate, had read to me) and understood the information above, do you agree to participate in this research?

[If you do not wish to participate in this research, please select NO, and close this webpage. No further action is required on your part.]